LINDA WERNIKOFF Gets pension and 120G.New York Community Media Alliance

A city Department of Education superintendent who retired last June quietly returned as a $1,000-a-day consultant, one of many retirees now being hired on the side through a DOE vendor.

Linda Wernikoff quit as head of special education after a 35-year career last June. “Now I think it’s time that I need to try new things,” she said at the time.

But Wernikoff, who collects a $115,000-a-year pension, continued to work on a new data system to manage the individual education plans for 180,000 special-ed students.

Wernikoff, whose last salary was $192,263, is being paid $120,000 for 120 days — or $145.82 an hour. The Fund for Public Education, which raises money for city schools, paid $90,000, and $30,000 is from taxpayer funds.

“We begged her to come back to help get [the data project] off the ground,” said DOE spokeswoman Ann Forte.

But such lucrative deals anger the ranks.

“This is typical of how the higher-ups play the system,” a veteran teacher said. “They retire and have these jobs lined up so they move from one high-paying position to another.”

The DOE has spent $11.7 million so far this school year on part-timers, saying it’s more efficient than hiring new people.